My problem with the Nobel Peace Prize

According to the Nobel Peace Prize website, President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”.

Even I can see that this is a bunch of crap. First of all, Mr. Obama has been in office for 8 months.  Yes he has been slammed recently (thanks to SNL) for not getting anything done.  His lofty goals certainly weren’t going to be completed within the first year, and it has become the elephant in the room for the media (CNN in particular is in a tizzy over SNL’s claims) and the Democrats who practically declared him to be the second coming of Christ.  His aims were never going to be completed so quickly, if ever.  I apologize for sounding so pessimistic, but come on.  Plus, a lot of them were simply campaign promises.  I could see his campaign promises for what they were when they were being said.  Even so, things take time; Mr. Obama has said so himself.  Unfortunately, no one listened.

Now, 8 months into his presidency, he has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for trying to strengthen diplomacy.  Except that while he is attempting this, those people he is “strenthen(ing) international diplomacy” with are going right back to their countries and talking shit.  (Sorry, foul language.)  I understand that these things take time, but why are we awarding a Nobel Prize for something that hasn’t been accomplished yet? Also, I have a huge, and I mean HUGE problem with anyone who would snub the Dalai Lama in favor of China for fears that they would get upset with such a meeting.  Peace Prize, my big toe.

As I told other people who seem to back this award, there are many who have been continuously snubbed for these awards … maybe their actual success in achieving greater world peace is not as important as fostering international diplomacy and attempting to achieve greater world peace.

What about a posthumous nomination for Pope John Paul II (maybe it would also put Pope Benedict XVI in check for trying to destroy everything John Paul built)? Ronald Reagan for ending the Cold War? Gandhi for being Gandhi? Or Cesar Chavez for his civil rights activism? If they want the Nobel Peace Prize to actually mean something, they should nominate people who actually deserve it.

Alfred Nobel wanted to keep political corruption out of this award and thought that it should be awarded “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”  (thank you, Wikipedia) I hope he isn’t rolling over in his grave.

This is for the radicals

I should start off first by saying that I love studying the radical nature of humanity. My research focuses/hopes to focus on radical religion during the Reformation, and I find modern radical religions absolutely fascinating (I include in this Charles Manson’s Family and Fundamentalist Mormonism). The nature of radicalism is a fascinating ideology which acts as a figurative pendulum in history. The problem is that when the pendulum has swung too far to one side, it can break.

Today, we are faced with the radicalization of politics, the polarization of this country’s government. The biggest problem of all is that people think that this is okay. The Far Right have taken over the Republican Party, allowing it to maintain a spiteful, hateful persona which has completely turned this Moderate away from any kind of agreement.  The problem with polemical thought is that those who are forced to endure it are, by basic tenets of human nature, going to automatically disagree because the way in which the argument is set forth is usually insulting and juvenile. You can find examples of this in Rush Limbaugh’s radio show, Ann Coulter’s obscene writings and even Fox News’ fear-inducing propaganda. No one wants to be yelled at, no one wants to be told they are stupid.  And yet Rush Limbaugh, a paragon of virtue to be sure, sits on his high horse, telling people off about various issues and insisting that he is the only voice of the Republican Party worth listening to. I, for one, would rather listen to nails scraping on a chalkboard.  His polemics are a disgrace to the Republican Party, and yet he is still talking. Republicans should be advocating less government, but what the Far Right really want is to make sure they are the ones controlling you, not the Democrats.

And to all you Radical Democrats, you’re just as disgraceful.  You allowed the Global Warming debate to be politicized when you knew the theories of global warming have so many holes, it may as well be called swiss cheese. I am a firm advocate of being more aware of the global problems we have brought on ourselves.  The problem is that the earth continues in a state of flux, warming and cooling.  However, the political nature of the debate is such that the only focus for the opposition has become the downfall of the global warming theory. Moving on, the biggest issue I have with you is that you believe that the government can solve anything. What a load. How’s that stimulus working out?  How about the 3.5 million jobs Obama promised to create in his campaign? Where is unemployment? Over 9%? Yeah, government control of the finance and car industries sure seem to be keeping those bonuses in check and the usury of credit card interest/overdraft fees sure seems under control now … oh wait, no they aren’t. Complete government control doesn’t work. Socialization of everything doesn’t work. Yet you insist that it does even while it is failing. So Nancy Pelosi, you can continue to stand by your radical ideas, but you’re a fool for doing so.

I have to give it to all of you Radicals, both right and left.  When people tell you to your face that your tactics aren’t working and they are disgusted with your methods, you continue on doing what you want, and continue to push people away.  That’s ballsy.  Or just plain idiotic, I’m not sure which anymore. The thing to remember is that you can have your way, you can push people down in order to get what you want, but once you have done so, you’ve completely defeated the original ideals you are supposed to stand for.

Like I said, I love to study radicalism.  But only because it is so mind-boggling that people actually think it works.